Avast launches all-new
mobile browser with
complete data encryption
vast, a global leader in digital
A
security products, has released
an Android version of Avast
Secure Browser to extend its platform
support beyond Windows and Mac on
desktop to mobile. The introduction of a
multi-platform browser is part of Avast’s
ongoing focus to converge security and
privacy services to enable a safer, more
private and faster browsing experience
across devices and operating systems.
intelligent MOBILE SECURITY
Avast Secure Browser for Android
was developed following Avast’s 2019
acquisition of Tenta, a private browser
backed by Blockchain pioneers,
ConsenSys, and has been built from the
ground up by privacy and cybersecurity
engineers focused on total encryption.
At its core is strong encryption including
AES-256, ChaCha 256-bit and the latest
TLS/SSL cryptographic protocols for
the data transport layer. To ensure that
user DNS requests are kept private
and secure, Avast Secure Browser for
Android supports multiple DNS options
straight out of the box, such as DNS
over TLS, DNSSEC and decentralised
DNS support.
Additional built-in security and privacy
features available with Avast Secure
Browser for Android include:
• A lightning fast VPN that encrypts all
inbound and outbound connections
to the VPN location
• A unique ephemeral user PIN code
for device access that is never stored
on any server nor on the device itself
• Anti-tracking technologies used to
prevent websites, advertisers and
other web services from tracking
online activity
• Adblock integration to improve
website load time
• An encrypted media vault
Scott Curtiss, Vice President and
General Manager of Avast Secure
Browser, said: “Avast’s core mission
is to make the world a safer place by
protecting the security and privacy of
every customer. Our commitment to
being a privacy-by-design technology
provider was behind our acquisition of
leading private mobile browser, Tenta,
whose technology has contributed to the
development of our new Avast Secure
Browser for Android.
“We know that our customers care
deeply about security and privacy
and want to be in control of their own
personal data without compromising the
quality of their online interactions. Our
goal is to be the first all-in-one browser
to secure our users’ privacy along with a
frictionless secure browsing experience.
Adding support for mobile is another
milestone in our journey towards this
long-term goal.”
In early March, Avast Threat Lab
researchers found that the increasing
use of mobile devices around the globe
is fuelling the growth of mobile-related
malware. To date, 131 COVID-19 related
apps have been detected as malicious
through Avast’s apklab.io platform
as cybercriminals look to exploit the
pandemic using social engineering tactics.
According to statistics gathered by the
Avast researchers between October and
December 2019, adware (software that
hijacks user devices to spam them with
malicious ads) is responsible for 72% of
mobile malware, with the remaining 28%
of threats linked to banking trojans, fake
apps, lockers and downloaders.
“There is still a perception among many
consumers that on mobile, Internet
and browser-based threats do not
exist,” said Curtiss. “This is not the
case. Mobile is a lucrative platform for
cybercriminals because of its majority
market share versus desktop and higher
levels of Internet traffic. In the past 12
months, we’ve seen adware rise by 38%
on Android.” u
58 Issue 25 |
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